MrMcGoo Posted December 22, 2005 Share Posted December 22, 2005 This movie is a DreamWorks production that is fairly original. It is science fiction and is worth renting and may be buying. I do not want to say anything about the plot that might ruin the experience, but this movie is not for the folks that are squimish. It is not over the top, but it does get a bit rugged. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary W. Graley Posted December 24, 2005 Share Posted December 24, 2005 Thanks Bill, I was wondering about this film, will rent it and check it out! G2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I just watched it, and it was a really good movie. My kind of movie and it will be in my collection for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I just finished watching it. Very good movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Kind of a cross between Logans Run and Coma , I enjoyed it , but not enough to buy it . [~] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 An entertaining escapist movie, with some trademark Michael Bay action scenes, stylized camera work, and eye-popping color palette. The story was pretty neat, and acting believable (to an extent), but in all honesty, not nearly one of Michael Bay's best. Compared to "The Rock," "Armageddon," or "Pearl Harbor" (which wasn't that great either), it falls flat on its face. Many cite the downfall of this movie from the fact that Jerry Bruckheimer was not producing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 I do not think that an anti-cloneing movie could be much better. Folks did not like Spielberg's War of the Worlds or this movie, but they are very realistic IMO. Folks just do not like realism. They seem to want more action and bigger explosions. Oh well. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicholtl Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 That's a pretty big and blatant generalization there, Bill. It's not that people don't like realism, it's that viewers these days are more savvy and in-tune with stories that entrall, character arcs that make sense, and moments that ring true. A quick example that comes to mind is when, in "War of the Worlds," Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning return home to find Cruise's wife and son (how the hell did he survive it all alone anyway?? His immature personality throughout suggested NO ability to go at it solo) throw the front door open and lock desperate, emotional, reunited gazes. The family runs through the deserted, yet pristinely untouched neighborhood, amidst a soaring crecendo, a swirling bouquet of fire-orange leaves in the caress of autumn breeze, and embrace under the triple f-stop (aperture) overexposed sunlight... Is that realism? If so, might as well have doves flying above and the LA Philharmonic string section sitting and playing stage-right. Just for good measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 "Many cite the downfall of this movie from the fact that Jerry Bruckheimer was not producing." I cite the downfall of the movie industry to Jerry Bruckheimer (and others like him) producing/being involved with too many films. He's sooooo "formulaic". Once one unlocks JB's techniques and tactics, the commonalities from film to film become obvious. From Top Gun to Days of Thunder to Pirates of the Caribbean, it's the same methods and tricks (sometimes even plot structures) time and time again. It's not that JB doesn't have talents - he does - but too much of anything becomes "old hat". The movie industry, like the music industry, needs some "new blood". I would like to see JB and Spielberg step aside some and bring new talent and points of view into the industry. Music has benefited from the internet, and direct marketing of music to fans - I am hopeful that similar paths bring new blood to the movie industry. For an excellent lampooning of Jerry Bruckheimer's techniques, see Team America: World Police". More hilarious than the celebrity/political takes is the skewering of Jerry Bruckheimer - as thorough and complete as any take Trey Parker and Matt Stone have ever done. I will warn the viewer, though - unlocking JB's techniques in such a way will ruin every film for you that JB ever did....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted January 2, 2006 Author Share Posted January 2, 2006 That's a pretty big and blatant generalization there, Bill. It's not that people don't like realism, it's that viewers these days are more savvy and in-tune with stories that entrall, character arcs that make sense, and moments that ring true. A quick example that comes to mind is when, in "War of the Worlds," Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning return home to find Cruise's wife and son (how the hell did he survive it all alone anyway?? His immature personality throughout suggested NO ability to go at it solo) throw the front door open and lock desperate, emotional, reunited gazes. The family runs through the deserted, yet pristinely untouched neighborhood, amidst a soaring crecendo, a swirling bouquet of fire-orange leaves in the caress of autumn breeze, and embrace under the triple f-stop (aperture) overexposed sunlight... Is that realism? If so, might as well have doves flying above and the LA Philharmonic string section sitting and playing stage-right. Just for good measure. I agree that my statement is very broad, but the ending is not about the son that magically reappears. War of the Worlds has an ending about microbiology, the human immune system and luck or creationism, depending on your point of view. The ending was so critical that Morgan Freeman was hired to do the narration. In the face of highly superior technology, humanity was helpless. The evil aliens were destroyed by a virus or other pathogen. No one bought it even though it was highly realistic. The first movie about the evils of cloneing that I recall was Star Wars II. The Island was more original and more realistic than SW II in my view, but it hardly made a ripple. Reality does not sell well IMO whether it is in movies, politics or taxes. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deletemeplease Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 deleted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted January 2, 2006 Author Share Posted January 2, 2006 The Canadian release of the DVD only contained a 2.0 English track... quite disappointing, I won't be considering buying this movie. Wow!!! The Canadian version probably did not have enough space for both a 5.1 English and 5.1 French version. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 It was definitely a pretty good movie. Well worth renting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Bought it used... watched it... and enjoyed it very much... The sci fi part...was intriuging...and we discussed after movie... The chase scene was amazing...the rail car axles coming off the truck was great....felt like I was in the car ..loved it...the movie is worth it just for these scenes alone.... You should watch this movie at least once.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theryugobuddy Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 God, Scarlett is a goddess!!! But this is her worst acting job--she seems lost in all the technobabble-- Its amazing to me how all these huge elements in movies--spectacular sets, chases, costumes, explosions and such--take over a movie-- I think most people do want a good story and characters they can believe, but so many times the Bays and Bruckheimer types seem more interested in filling every frame with ENTERTAINMENT!!! and that formula can be insulting to the viewer-- This movie is pretty good, but it could be so much better if the actors didn't have to be cheeky amidst all the bombastic showmanship-- Scarlett and McGregor didn't have any screen chemistry--and it hurt the movie-- They could have called this Logan's Run 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theryugobuddy Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Interesting review on Allmusic.com: Michael Bay's first solo outing (and ironically, first failure) from under mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's wings is his usual ode to fire and loud noises, but blanketed over a half-brained sci-fi yarn starring out-of-place screaming indie actors. Yes, this is The Island, a wicked jaw-dropper from the director who did a sore job of kicking things off professionally under the watchful eye of new teacher Steven Spielberg, whose DreamWorks studio was subsequently sold in part because of this bomb. It was the bearded one who first highlighted the script as one of the most creative he'd ever seen, which is ironic since one of the only other sci-fi clone flicks out there, Clonus, shares enough of the exact same story that it resulted in legal action. Though the setup might be the same, The Island is pure sci-fi-"lite" all the way, which really only acts as a bridge to his wham-bam action beats. While one does get the feeling that Bay really was looking for meaning with the first act, it seems that he can't help but give in to his sensory-overloaded style when the movie hits all its cylinders. The film's big-screen duo are quite amusing in their own ways as well, with Ewan McGregor flashing his Moulin Rouge smile when he wants to look innocent, while Scarlett Johansson's throaty baritone is tested by over-the-top screaming that makes her sound like Eddie Furlong in T2. For historical purposes, the city of Detroit is an interesting location choice, and the use of the abandoned old Train Station is worthy of note, though even then, Bay's vision of Los Angeles in the future is dictated by dueling aesthetics that bounce between shiny technology and burned-out buildings. With indulgent product placement and rather obvious handling of what could have been weighty material, The Island might end up being Bay's most blatant product since he semi-retired from the commercial industry except this time, no one is buying. Jeremy Wheeler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickB Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 That seems like an awful long winded review just for the guy to say he didn't like the movie. Myself, I'm not searching for the meaning of life when I go to the movies, just entertain me for a couple hours, which it did, so it was good by me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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